History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. II, Part 41

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898,
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1286

USA > New York > Westchester County > History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. II > Part 41

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The British government indemnified him, how- ever, for the losses hie sustained by the confiscation of his estate.

By going back a few years in the chronologi- cal order, an idea may be gathered in regard to the population and to the religious condition of Westchester County, including Greenburgh and Mount Pleasant, in the year 1759, from a letter written to Archbishop Seeker, then at the head of the Church of England as Archbishop of Canterbury, by the Rev. Samuel Johnson, D.D., the first president of King's (now . Columbia) College, New York City. The letter, dated King's College, New York, July 25, 1759, was eopied by the writer of this account from the New York Colonial Manuscripts (history), London Documents xxxv. vol. vii. p. 398, in the State Library at Albany. The Rev. Dr. Johnson writes: "The next thing is to give your Grace an account of those places where Missious are wanted. And here I beg leave first to mention a great part of this province. I mean all that tract on the East side of Hudson's River, from West Chester upwards quite as far as we have any settlements, abounding with people, but almost destitute of Ministers of any denomina- tion, except two Dutch and two Germans, and many people have almost lost all sense of Christianity. Indeed, in the large County of Westchester there is only good Mr. Wetmore and two Dissenting Teachers that are capable of duty. Northward of that is Coll. Philips's Manour, ou which are people enough for a large Congregation without any minister at all. The Coll. has himself built a neat small Church and set off a traet for a Glebe, which will be considerable in

time, and he and his tenants are very desirous of a Minister, but will need the Society's assistance."

With the exception of the preceding statements iu regard to the Philipse family and their relations to the Manor of Philipsburgh, from which Greenburgh was taken and erected into a separate township in 1788, there is scarcely any information pointing to matters of historical interest eouneeted with the lo- cality for about three-quarters of a century,-that is, from 1700 to 1775. The land had been purchased from the Indians, and the influx of European immi- gration, together with the natural increase of the white population, soon established the aseendency of civilization over barbarism. The whites increased ; the Indians decreased and passed more and more out of sight. The whole of the township was occupied by a people engaged in agricultural and pastoral pur- suits, and life with them was quiet and uneventful. The years came and weut with but little or nothing to rouse them to deeds of eonspicions or public im- portance, or break the rural tranquillity of their homes. It is true, the old Freneh and Iudian War extended from 1754 to 1763, when, by the treaty of Paris, France surrendered to Great Britain all her possessions in North America, east of the Mississippi River, from its source to the river Iberville, and thence through Lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain to the Gulf of Mexico. But the theatre of this great struggle was too remote from Westchester County to have called forth any special exertions from its peo- ple. There are, indeed, traditions of individuals in the county who bore a part in the military and other operations of the English and their colonies that tended to establish their supremacy, but those tradi- tions are few and vagne. There is said to be a gen- eral dearth of historical data for all parts of the county between 1700 and 1775. This is owing chiefly to the eauscs already referred to, but it may, in some degree, also be due to the alleged fact that a portion of the county records were consumed in Bedford when that village was burned by a party of British Light-Horse, under Lieutenant-Colonel Banastre Tarleton, on July 2, 1779. The county, it should be remembered, had been organized nearly a lindred years before-that is, on November 1, 1683.

There is lying before the writer at this moment, however, the original manuseript Minute-Book of the "Town Clark for the Manor of Philipsburgh" from " 1742, the first tuesday In April " to " the 6th day of April, 1779, and in the Third Year of our Indepen- deney,“-that is, for a period of thirty-six years. One of the covers is torn off, the paper is stained and yel- low and a considerable number of leaves are eut out nearly in the middle of the book. The records begin at each end of the volume and go on toward the middle. By reversing it, the bottom of the page at one end becomes the top at the other. The records relate almost entirely to three matters of publie inter- est,-1. The names of town officers with the date of

177

GREENBURGH.

their eleetion, which seems to have occurred always in the spring. 2. The record of public roads, with the starting-point and terminus, and the general di- reetion they took. 3. The " entering" of estray and unclaimed cattle that had pastured on the common, with a deseription of their ear-marks, etc., and what was finally done with them.

It may give some idea of the condition of things to reproduee here a few extraets from this venerable record, and that they may be the better appreciated they will be given word for word and letter for letter. The earliest record is written thus :

" 1742-the first tuesday In April is chosen fore Esessors for the Mannor of philipsburg, Joseph ged- denie and Gerret van Wert, JunT.

" fore Constable and Colector is chosen Joeghem Van Wert.

"pound master is Elbert Aerse.

" fence fucers (Fenee Viewers), piet buys (Pete Boiee) and tomas Storm and Jaeop Willse and Wil- liam hammond and Barrant duysen and John Colye and Charl Davids.

" fore overzeers for the King Roads : Jaeop Conck- lin, for the Road from tomas storm to the mills, and John Martine, Jun., and Sybout Ecker, for the King Road from broniks Rever long by necklaas storm (Nicholas Storm) to Jaeop van wert, and William bret, for the King Road from Broniksis Rever along by davids storm to the upper mill or breeges over the mill Creek or rune, and for the King Road from bronksis Rever to Saw Mill River, along by anthony vanekrie, william Anderson, and for the King Road from the upper Mill to Charl davids, Evert bruyn and Johannis van ticsxsel (Van Texel or Van Tassel), the son of Jaeop, to Croeteens Riever, and Jacop Gardinier for the Rood from Captien Leggit to the upper mill brigs, and John hiyitt for the King Road from tomas storm to the greet Roek, and for the ferry Rood, John abbelbe (Appleby) and Joseph Conklin, Junr."

It is not easy to identify at the present time all the roads here mentioned. Some of them have been changed and some probably closed up altogether. But there are some which it is not difficult to traee. For instance, " the road from Thomas Storm's to the mills " is the present Broadway, running north from the Storm homestead at Dobbs Ferry to the old mill on the Pocantico, while "the King Road from Thomas Storm to the great Rock" is Broadway running south from the Storm homestead at Dobbs Ferry to "the Graet Roek Stone Sigghes" below Hastings, which marks the dividing line between Greenburgh and Yonkers. "The ferry Rood," it is not unlikely, was one leading from the back country to Dobbs Ferry.

The next year there is another record, which reads thus:

" 1743 .- The first tuesday in april is Chosen att the town meeting for overseers of the highway from

tomas storm to the Great rock, William Dobbs ; and from the upper mill to Crootens, tuenis Cosson and frensis besle ; and from the upper mills to bronkses Riever, Abraham van wert, the son of garret van wert ; and for the Road from Anthenie tamkin along to Harmme yureks is ehosen over sier Henry storm ; Culiess tamkins from the Spran to bronkis Riever ; and from the Spran to Saw mill River, Joh Roessl; and from the upper mills to nonqeethen, William legget, Junr .; and Samwil watters long the said Rood to the bevermaddo; and Johnson baeker for the Roed to north Cassel ; and for the Roed from bronkis Riever to Jaeob van wert Moses hedde and Hannis Van tesxsel:"

The Spran, or properly Spraine, here spoken of, is a stream which rises near the centre of the township, between the Bronx and the Nepperhan (or Saw-Mill) Rivers, and after flowing southeasterly for some dis- tanee is joined by the Grassy Spraine, and finally empties into the Bronx. At least, it did before its eurrent was diverted to furnish a water supply for the city of Yonkers.

An example of the way in which the roads were laid out and deseribed-and there were a good many of them, sometimes three or four in one year-may be seen in the following records :

" June 6th, 1757 .- Then Laid out a Road to Mart- ling's Landing, Begining at a Small Brook South of Martling, and marked a Chesnut Stadle at a pint of Roeks ye South Side, and Runing Down to a Ches- nut tree marked on ye South Side to ye South of ye Elboe of ye path west ward down to High waters mark ; then Running with high waters mark to a Small Brook that Comes out of ye medow, & Cov all under ye hill to be Road & Landing. the Road Excepting where Martling's house and stoek yards stands, has been altered.

" April ye 29th, 1766 .- then Laid out a Road, be- ginning at ye Post Road between Barrent Dutchers, and ye lots which was Laid out on ye flats at Mart- ling Landing, begining at yc Post Road by a Ches- nut Stake marked on ye North Side of ye Road in ye Corner of Hendriek Martlings wheat field, So Run- ing Down to ye Landing between Barrent Dutchers house & barn marked on ye North Side of ye Road to where ye Road turns by Chesnut Stump, marked, & from thenee Runing Northerly a Long ye River to Chenut oak marked on ye East Sid of ye Road, & So a Long between Jacob fogeles hous & River untill it meets ye other Road which Comes Down by Dyk- mans."

A matter that seems to have awakened considerable public interest and attention, in those peaceful times, was the management and disposition of the stray cattle that were marked by their owners and turned out to pasture on the commons. They were scrupu- lously reported to the pound-master, whose ingenuity in describing them and whose resources in knowing what to do with them seem sometimes to have been

178

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

sorely exercised. The following may be taken as specimens of the record :

" 1752, December 13th .- Entred a blak three year old haffar, Marked with a halfpenny on the fore syd of the off Ear, and a halfpenny on the back syd of the same Ear, and a Slit in the Same Ear. Entred by Jacob Hileker.

"dito, December 28th .- Entred a dark Brindel haffar marked with a Crop of the ofe Ear and a half- pinni att the under syde of the same and a halfpinni at the upper Syde of the near Ear. Entered by Direk van Tessel ; payde for Entrin."

But perhaps one of the most serious matters of this sort was that referred to in the record under date of December 22, 1749, in which it appears that the owner of a "Straa brindel haffer" could not be found, and the animal had to be " Solld att publyk Vandue " in order to relieve the officers and the Manor of Phil- ipsburgh of the responsibility. The transaction as reeited with official solemnity, is given thus,-

"1749, the 2d day of Desember .- the straa brindel haffer Solld att publyk vandue To the heighist bie- der. the Said heffar-that by Abraham buys entred upou the town Book in the year 1748, the Seventh day of Desember-is Solld acording To the aet of the Genrally asimbly.

£. s. d.

" Ditt, Johannis Dengser, Debt for the said haffer 1 16 6

Ditto, To Abraham buis for winteren the Said haffer. 0 15 0

Ditto, for entredting Said haffer. 0 00 9

Ditto, To Johannis Duyser for pasterrin the Said heffer one Summer 0 06 0

Ditto, for the twon Clark fues entredting the Said haffer. 0 06

Ditto, To the Carges of the Saell 0 10

Ditto, for To keept the a Count the Clark, fees for Adtisements for Saell. 0 1 9

£1 5("

It thus appears that " the Said haffer " was sueeess- fully disposed of, being "Solld at publyk vandue" for £1 168. 6d. The expenses of the sale and of one year's provision and eare amounted to £1 5s., which left in the public treasury a balance of 118. 6d.

At the present day, with a larger development and broader views of public business and policy, these records may excite the reader's smile, but they were matters of importance in the condition of society then existing, and they were the rude beginnings of a vig- orous growth that huns matured into this imperial State of New York.

As we come now to the delineation of the bounda- ries of Greenburgh, a name and a division known only since March 7, 1788, it is to be observed that the several tracts Required by Frederick Philipse from the Indian tribes, either directly or otherwise, were consolidated into one, and ereeted into the

Manor of Philipsburg by royal letters patent dated June 12, 1693.

These pareels together covered an area of eighty- six square miles, and they comprise the territory east of the Hudson, from which, in March, 1788, abont five years after the elose of the Revolutionary War, were ereeted the townships of Yonkers, Greenburgh and Mount Pleasant. The present township of Os- sining was originally a part of Mount Pleasant, but was set off by aet of the Legislature May 2, 1845, as a separate township, under the name which it now bears.

The southern boundary of Greenburgh follows the dividing line of two of the original pareels as they were purchased by Philipse from the Indians. This line eommenees on the Hudson River at a small

CORTLANDT.

YORKTOWN

NORTH LINE

NEW CASTLE.

PHILIPSE \MANOR

OSSINING

BISHOPS ROCKS

CHAPEL .

MOUNT PLEASANT

RIVER

PAULDING

SCHOOL @COL YOUHO/NORTH VINIMIND

CASTLE

HUDSON

NEPPERHA

WHITE PLAINS

GREENBURGH

BRONX.

ROCK SIGGHES

SCARSDALE

OUTLET OF AMAKASSIN

YONKERS

EAST CHESTER

-BRONY

GREENBURGH AND MT. PLEASANT.

stream above Dudley's Grove, andabout a mile south of the present Hud- son River Rail- road depot at Hastings. The stream was call- ed by the In- dians Maeka- kassin. Theline runs from the Hudson River due east by a great roek stone which is called "Sigghes," and by marked trees to the Bronx. Thestone "Sig- ghes " stands on the Dyekman estate, not far east of the old Post road.

The eastern and western boundaries of the town- ship are of course sufficiently plain, that on the east being the Bronx River and that on the west being the Hudson. The townships adjoining Greenburgh on the east, and having the Bronx River as a boun- dary in common with it, are three,-namely, Scarsdale on the south, White Plains in the middle and North Castle on the north.

The northern boundary of Greenburgh is the lower or southern limit of Mount Pleasant. The line of demarcation follows the centre line of the old White Plains road from the Bronx River westward to cer- tain lands, lying on the hill northeast of Tarrytown, that were bought of the Commissioners of Forfeitures by William Davids, on December 6. 1785, but more recently owned and occupied as a farm by the late John R. Stephens, decensed. A part of these prem-

SAW MILLES

POCANTICO

179

GREENBURGH.

iscs, some twenty-five years ago, became by purchase the property of Philo H. Perry, and the site of his fine stone mansion, but is now owned by the Kings- land estatc. The line moves along the Davids or Stephens place, southwestward to the old Beekman farm, where it strikes the stream now called the Andre Brook (from the fact that Major Andre was captured on the Post road only a few steps south of it) and thence along the Beekman farm to the Hud- son River. The farm followed the Andre Brook down as far as the present west line of the Rev. Plar- cellus Church, D.D., then diverged from the brook along the west line of Dr. Church to what is now Wildey Street, and thence, by a bold curve, it turned westward to the Hudson River.

The geographical centre of the township, as now constituted, lies probably about midway between the Hudson and the Bronx, on a line drawn from the Barney estate, below the village of Irving- ton, to the north side of the little hamlet of Hart's Corners on the east, and just north of the place designated on Bromley's town atlas as "Washington's Head- quarters during the bat- tle of White Plains."1 It is on the public road leading from Ashford or (Ardsley), on the New York City and Northern Railroad, to Hart's Corners and the Bronx.

hills to the cast, extending as far as the Bronx River. The valley of the Nepperhan lay between them. It is to the latter army that Washington Irving refers, in his "Life of Washington," when he says: "The French encampments made a gallant display along the Greenburgh hills. Some of the officers took a pride in decorating their tents and forming little gar- dens in the vicinity."

In regard to the ruins of these baking-ovens, as to the existence of which some who might be expected to know have declared their ignorance, Ward Car- penter, Esq., so well known for his accuracy both as a surveyor and an observer of facts, has kindly fur- nished the following valuable statement : -

"Bolton's History, 1st edition, vol. i. p. 243, says, -The house (then) occupied by Jackson Odell, son of the distinguished Colonel Odell, was, at one period of the war, used as head- quarters by the French commander, Count de Rochambeau, General Washington having en- camped on the west bank of the Sprain.2

"At a point about one thousand yards due south from the Odell house, above referred to, and on the Odell farm, in a corner, near the land of the late Ben- jamin T. Underhill and the land now or late of William H. Wright, situated on the easterly side of the Sprain Brook road, there were to be seen, a few years ago, It is in this neighbor- hood that arestill found, or at least were found a THE ODELL HOUSE, ROCHAMBEAU'S HEADQUARTERS. few years ago, the rem- the remains of seven (7) of the ovens used by Count De Rocham- nants of the baking ovens constructed by the French | beau's men while encamped in this neighborhood.

troops under the Count de Rochambeau during the time his forces were encamped here. In July, 1781, the allied armies, the American and the French, formed a junc- tion near Dobbs Ferry, and occupied contiguous en- campments. The American army was encamped in two lines to the west, with the right resting on the Hudson River, and the French in one line on the

" As will be seen upon the diagram accompanying this statement, the ovens were crected upon a knoll lying between two brooks, one of which has its origin in a valuable spring two hundred and fifty feet to the southeast and flowing westerly about four hundred and twenty feet, joining the second brook near the corner of the Odell farm, flowing thence southwesterly and emptying into the Sprain Brook. These remains of the French ovens were distinctly seen by the writer of this in the spring of 1855, while being en- gaged in some professional business in that neighbor- hood.

"The ovens were about six feet long and apparent- ly about two fect six inches wide in the clear; they appear to have been built mostly underground; the

1 There is little doubt that the tradition is correct, and that the place was once occupied by Washington as his headquarters ; but it was not "during the battle of White Plains," for his headquarters at that time were evidently north of White Plains village. The time when he occu- pied the place here referred to, and when, from his going up on the hill- tops to obtain a better view of the situation around him, the elevation a little to the west of the headquarters mentioned on the map acquired the distinction of being designated as "Washington Hill." it is alto- gether probable, was during the northward march previous to the battle of Chatterton's Hill. The "line of detached and intrenched camps," spoken of by Ramsay, Sparks and others, ran directly through this region.

2 The rising ground a little west being called " Washington Hill."

180

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

side-walls, together with one of the end walls of each, were laid with cobble-stones. The roof of the ovens appears to have been built of the same material, but was sunken down even with the surface."

An exceedingly interesting account of the encamp- ment of the French army along the hills of Green- burgh, entitled "Our French Allies in Westchester County," was prepared a year or so ago by Josiah S. Mitchell, Esq., of White Plains, and read before a so- cial club in that village. He has kindly granted per- inission to have it transferred to these pages, and it is as follows :

" Five long years of exhausting struggle had passed sinee the two signal lanterns in the steeple of the ' Old North Church' in Boston warned the people that the British Army had set out on its first march to sub- jugate the turbulent colonists of Massachusetts; and with ceaseless persistence the war then begun at Lex- ington and Concord was continued until the misfor- tunes of 1780, occasioned by the treason of Arnold, the loss of Charleston and the annihilation of the army by Cornwallis at Camden filled the people with

- Line fence.

Land formerly of Collo John Odell N

Right. Brook

Line of Property

Remains of French Ovens. .

W --

UUUUUUU.

Brook.

M's sund youg [farm Line and emplies into Brook

Line property & Valuable)

Spring

The dotted line a brook running from The Spring ">Land formerly of Ben.T.Underhill.

Diagram, showing the position of the French ovens, used by Count de Rochambean, during his encampment near the "Col. John Odell house," which was used as the Count's headquarters. The remains of the ovens are situated about 1000 yards sonth of Col. Odell's house.

sad forebodings and proved that the Colonies were not strong enough to cope, unaided, with British power.

" At this critical moment the splendidly appointed French Army arrived ; and thereafter every step was a step forward, and through this aid the war was brought to a successful close in two years.

" It is about this French Army-the admiration of Europe, perfect in equipment and discipline, and un- supassed in magnificence, as it lay encamped in the summer of 1781 on the hills from White Plains to the Nepperhan-that I propose to speak, and briefly and imperfectly to describe the dress and appearance of the regiments and the distinguished officers in com- mand, leaving you, at your leisure, to follow them through their subsequent career,-for they made his- tory for Europe.

"The officers of this army, from Rochambeau to the youngest lieutenants, were of high birth and most of them of great experience, for whom destiny had in store, for some, a brilliant future, for others, a tragie end.

" The Count de Rochambeau, the chiefin command,

was a hero who had won varied commissions on hard-fought battle-fields; he had distinguished himself at Weisbourg, at Fribourg, and as aid-de-camp to the Duke of Orleans at the siege of Namur ; at Langfeldt, under the eyes of his king, he received wounds and glory. His skill and bravery in many battles marked the steps iu his promotions until he reached the high- est rank. At the close of our war he returned to France and became an active partisan in the French Revolution and a prisoner in the Bastile. When his name was called for execution it was found that the cart which transported the prisoners to the place of execution was already filled, and the officer in charge pushed him back, saying, 'Stand back, old fellow ; your turn will come later !" but the head of the bloody Robespierre fell before his turn came.

"Next to Rochambeau came the old Baron Vio- menil, who had been in service since 1740, and now commanded the ancient brigade of Bourbonnais, which lay on Nelson's Hill,-the ridge east of the Nepper- han,-the oldest regiment of France, whose morn- ing reveille had greeted every rising sun for centuries. " Next in command was the Chevalier de Chastel- leux, a man of culture, who rendered great service to Rochambeau iu his interviews with Washington.

"On the same ridge, east of Nelson's, were the Royal Deux Ponts and the old Soisonnais, command- ed by Count de Viomenil, a brother of the baron ; and farther east lay the regiment of Saintonge, com- manded by the Count de Custine, who had served in Prussia under Frederick the Great. On his return to France he took an active part in the Revolution and perished under the guillotine.

"The French left wing covered Chatterton's Hill and White Plains, and was composed of Lauzun's Legion, its commander distinguished for the ele- gance of his person and his courtly and fascinating manners. He was favored by fortune, courted by the nobility, the delight of the gay city of Paris, a special favorite of Washington and one of the bravest men in the army. He afterwards became engaged in the turmoils of the French Revolution, and, with de Custine, perished under the guillotine.

" The old Odell mansion, still standing, was the head- quarters of General Rochambeau, and with him, as aid-de-camp, was young Berthier, who rose to distinc- tion and high command under the great Napoleon. When he became Field Marshal of France and Prince of Wagram, some of the Greenburgh girls ex- ultingly boasted that they had danced with him at Colonel Odell's. You all know his sad death.

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History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. II, Part 41

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co. Number of Pages: 1286

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898,
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1286